


Death only takes, and takes, and takes (but we're gonna get them back)

by jojomustlive



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: And avenge my Petey-boy, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cause Marvel did us so dirty man, Character Death Fix, DO NOT READ BEFORE YOU WATCH INFINITY WAR!!!, Fix-It, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, LOTS OF SPOILERS!!!, M/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Then bring him back, They gonna kick that dry grape's ASS, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-04-29 15:30:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14475684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jojomustlive/pseuds/jojomustlive
Summary: Starts off with Tony dealing with Peter's loss, then he realizes there may have been a reason he survived after all. He is going to get his son back.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I'm basically writing this to cope, so bear with me if it gets a lil too emotional at times. The Russo Brothers did me so dirty with Peter's death, man. I'm not quite sure where the story is going, actually, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

                It was a lot quieter than Steve had expected. An alien planet, that is. Not a single sound could be heard in Titan besides the soft thump of Steve's own footsteps and a series of unmistakably shaky breaths coming from just a few feet away.

                Steve placed a hand on Tony's trembling shoulders and they shared a look that said what a thousand words could not. All was forgiven, all was forgotten. They couldn't give up, not now. Not when they were both so determined to, if not save, at least avenge those who had to pay the price for their failure.

                He isn't sure how he managed to get Tony inside the ship, but he did it. The hand on Tony's shoulder evolved, and he found himself holding the broken figure of the man who claimed to care for no one but himself. He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but he made no attempt to move. That was, until Tony's breathing became erratic and he all of the sudden seemed aware of his surroundings.

                "Steve?" His voice came out hoarse and breathy, like he had only now realized who had been holding him this whole time. Steve smiled sadly at him, using his free hand to wipe out one last teardrop that managed to escape Tony's eyes.

                "Hi ther-" His sentence was cut-short by Tony wrapping his arms around him fiercely. He lets out a few more shaky breaths before speaking up again, voice still wobbly. "He-- in my arms, Steve." His whole body started trembling again at the memory. "I had never really hugged him before that, did you know?" He let out a humorless laugh. "I'm so fucking stupid. I should've told him I loved him like a son before he vanished right out of existence." Steve trembled along at the memory of Bucky's figure fading away in a most-likely similar manner. "I just- God, Steve. He was so _scared_. I kept telling him it was going to be okay while I felt his ashes pilling up on my lap." Finding himself at a loss of what to say, Steve just hugged Tony even tighter.

                "It should've been me. He had so much to live for. _So much_. He was going to turn seventeen in just three weeks! I had the whole thing planned out already. I was going to show him the Iron Spider suit, tell him about all the updates I had been thinking about. Then I'd take him to his favorite restaurant, this little Thai place just a couple of blocks from his apartment... and I'd talk to him about becoming an Avenger eventually, probably spill that I had set up a college fund for him even though he wasn't supposed to know about it 'til he graduated." Tony sighs deeply, tiredness now starting to take over him.

                His eyes felt heavier by the second but he kept going anyway. "He didn't deserve any of this. We have to-" A million thoughts popped up in his head at the same time, Strange's words  echoing " _We're in the end game now_ " and " _It was the only way_ ". Strange didn't save him out of fondness or any of that sentimental shit, he had always made clear he was the protector of the stone first and person second, so that could only mean that he kept Tony alive for a reason, right?

                And the Gods be damned if Tony wasn't going to take any chance he could to get his son back, to do right by him.


	2. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not at all what I had first imagined for this fic but I hope you guys like it as much as I am liking it. It definitely gave me some peace of mind.
> 
> Ps: I'm not a comic reader, just a big fan of the movies, therefore, my knowledge about Marvel's lore is quite limited. If something seems a bit off to you, that's probably why.

 

                The first thing Peter realized is that suddenly his surroundings were not cold and sandy like they had been seconds ago. Now, everything felt like way too much and nothing at all at the same time.

                He then realized how _odd_ he felt. As he attempted to move from his lying position, his body felt _weightless_ and his recent battle wounds didn't do as much as tickle him anymore.

                He looked around, eyes eagerly searching for Mr Stark, but what he saw instead left him speechless.

                _There were so many people_. Men, women, children, aliens (God, so many aliens) and- wait, wasn't that Scarlet Witch and Vision hugging over there? They were all the way back on Earth, though, weren't they? How did they get here?

                He started walking towards the pair, for now ignoring the fact that with each step he was left more sure that the ground was actually for some reason made out of marshmallows. Surely Vision would be able to provide him some answers, Mr Stark always talked about how smart the man (Creature? Machine? Who knows.) was.

                "Hi there, Mrs Scarlet Witch, Mr Vision. We met at the airport in Berlin a couple years ago?" Peter launched his hand forward (Because his aunt had taught him good manners, thank you very much) and Vision shook it hesitantly. Taking a more careful look at him, he noticed the yellow glowing stone that used to rest on his forehead was now gone. "I'm Peter, by the way." He might as well say it, with the world almost ending and everything. Besides, they could see his face, it wouldn't be too hard for them to figure out the rest.

                A moment later, Scarlet reached out to shake his hand as well, eyes fixed intently on him. She was probably reading him, seeing if they could trust him. They could, so Peter didn't worry too much about it. The stare lasted a few more beats then she let his hand go, a satisfied look on her face.

                "I'm Wanda. Do you happen to know where we are?" Her thick Sokovian accent was a sweet contrast to Vision's British one. Peter totally shipped it.

                "I was actually hoping you guys would know the answer to that." He let out an awkward laugh. "The last thing I remember is being with Mr Stark in Titan and then suddenly I felt like my body was just giving out. Like I was-"

                "Fading away? Yeah, I felt that too."

                Peter looked around one more time, now recognizing there were a lot more familiar faces around: the Black Panther (wasn't he the king of a nation or something??), Captain America's friend with the cool metal arm, Space Peter (Star-lord is a ridiculous name - and that is coming from someone who's called _Spider-man_ ) who was hugging a green lady (how awesome is that???) in a very tight manner- wait, is he crying? Is that the Gamora lady they talked so much about?? The cool lady with the antennas and the big blue guy who was too literal for his own good were there too, and there was also a _talking tree_ that was probably taller than him (It is Groot!!! How cool is that?).

                He turned his attention back to Vision and Wanda.

                "Evidence has lead me to believe we are currently trapped inside Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet; more precisely, trapped inside the Soul Stone. It appears that these are all souls that have been taken by Thanos at some point." Vision said matter-of-factly, almost like he was reading it from a book.

                But there were _so many people_ there. Wait- did that mean-

                "Did- did we lose?" Wanda's heart broke at the sight of Peter in that moment. He looked so young, his spirit so _shattered_. She reached out to comfort the boy, but Vision beat her to it.

                "Not all hope is lost yet, young Peter. Considering Wanda just managed to read your mind whilst in here, it appears our powers still work to an extent. We may be able to come up with a viable plan to free ourselves."

                That put a smile on the kid's face. "Well, then what are we waiting for? I know some alien guys - well, they're not all alien, one of them is half human, I think? Anyway, I know some people who may be able to help us out. Come on!" Before the couple could say anything, he was already running towards a group of very odd-looking people, shouting "Hey guys!". They shared a fond look, just glad the boy had found his spirit back.

\- A couple of hours later -

                "...maybe we could overheat it? Try to break the shell?" Quill said, but it was more of a question than an idea.

                Peter had gathered as many powerful people as he could find, and those had brought some that he didn't know about as well. When he saw none other than _Loki_ , Thor's brother and person (god?) responsible for the Chitauri invasion back when he was a kid, he knew they were in for an interesting ride. He did give Loki a stinky eye, though, New York smelled like alien goo for _weeks_ after his appearance.

                They had spent the last couple of hours trying to come up with a viable plan. So far, it had been quite a flop. All ideas they had come up with were sketchy at best. Mostly they were just bad, though.

                "Sure you could overheat it if you want to make sure _no one_ here gets back." Peter's head turned at the familiar voice. It was the wizard guy! He called himself Doctor... Strange, was it? The name was surely fitting, considering everything he saw the man do. He launched himself towards the man, hugging him tightly.

                "Thank you, Mr Strange. I saw what you did for Mr Stark. I can't thank you enough for it." The man with the goatee was stiff inside Peter's arms. That reminded him a little of Mr Stark, and how he missed the man. The wizard-man was clearly uncomfortable, though, so he let him go fairly quickly.

                The look on the man's face was priceless, he looked so disconcerted it was laughable. Peter didn't laugh, though. He had manners.

                Soon enough he was talking again, his confident persona back. "First of all, kid, it's _Doctor_ Strange. Not Mister. Second, I didn't do it out of sympathy, or _sentiment_ , or whatever it is that you think drove my actions. I did it because Stark has a role to play in order for us to defeat Thanos and he needs to be, by all means, alive to do it. Just like we have a part to play in here, so I need all of you to listen to me: The soul stone is not like the others. She has a mind of her own. You can't trick her, especially not while you're inside of her. Our best shot is to make a deal with her, find some common ground and figure what price we must pay."

                Peter opened his mouth to speak, but Quill was faster. "And how the hell do we do that?"

                Though, to be fair, he couldn't have said it better himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we'll probably get back to Tony, see how our old man's doing. Hope you guys liked it, and if you have any ideas or inputs, don't be shy! I'm always up for a chat. :)


	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't had time to revise this chapter for any mistakes yet, but I wanted to post this today. I apologize for any mistakes.

                Tony started out by gathering everyone who was willing to fight. He asked Steve to contact the very-small-then-very-big man and dear ol' Clint, though. Dealing with relationships left on an awkward note was definitely not his strongest suit. Or his suit at all.

                It came as no surprise, but the people of Wakanda could never cease to amaze him. Be it their breathtaking infrastructure (when this was all done, he _had_ to talk to the person responsible for all of this. He had some notes to take.), their undying loyalty to their king, or simply their endurance. Anyone could see they were grieving, of course, but they held their heads high and were ready to do whatever it took. Tony could only dream of being this resilient.

                The paralyzing sadness he felt from the moment Peter uttered he wasn't feeling well turned into something completely different when he realized there was still hope they could get him back. He had to get his mind focused on the problem that laid ahead of them. There was no time to mope around, he had to get to Peter.

                The first person he contacted was Wong, who showed up not a minute later through one of those magic portals Strange did all the time. The vivid memory of Peter swinging through them invaded his mind, though he did his best to shrug it off.

                If Steve noticed how Tony's voice cracked or the tremble of his hand when greeting the mysterious man, he didn't mention it.

                Barton and the guy who can change his size (Steve told him his name was Scott, Scott Lang) arrived not too long afterwards, their eyes looking as haunted as Tony's. Nobody had the courage to ask them what had happened.

                To no one's surprise, Steve and the leader of the Dora Milaje, Okoye, were thick as thieves. Tony guessed two people with such strong moral compasses and who held their hearts on their sleeves could only have deep respect for one another. It made the corner of the billionaire's mouth curl upward a bit. Tony could also see a slender girl (she couldn't be much older than Peter) who seemed to be a part of the conversation, talking rapidly and with conviction. Her smiles never quite reached her eyes, though.

                They were all sat down around a large rounded table. Tony and Steve shared a look and stood up at the same time. The quiet chatter died down and all eyes were now on them.

                It was time to come up with a plan.

-x-

                Tony was not surprised in the slightest when it turned out that the genius mind behind all recent Wakandan technology was T'Challa's teenage sister, Shuri. If anyone knew how much potential this generation had, that person was Tony Stark.

                She had been kind enough to let him use her very own tech lab in the palace. If Tony hadn't been so determined to get everything their plan required ready as fast as it was humanly possible, he for sure could've explored that lab for _days_ without getting bored.

                "Hey, kitty-girl, how fast do you think we can get a new Iron suit up and running here?" Tony inquired without moving his gaze from the holographic blueprint he had been working on for the past hour.

                Shuri only raised an eyebrow at the nickname, she knew better than to question Tony Stark's choices when it came to those. "Once the blueprint is ready, an hour tops. Why, what's on your mind?"

                Tony then looked up at her, a shameless smile forming on his lips. "I noticed T'Challa's uniform had some sort of impact absorption tech in it? I thought we could upgrade everyone's armor with it, surprise the heck out of that purple Homer Simpson."

                That got a short but genuine laugh out of Shuri. Tony counted it as a win. "I like the way your mind works, Tony."

                And so they started working.

-x-

                Steve entered the lab unceremoniously with a plate of food on each hand. Tony and Shuri had locked themselves up in the lab almost eight hours ago and the veteran had made his personal goal to make sure the duo wouldn't work themselves to complete exhaustion. He didn't know Shuri as well as he would've liked since whenever he was around the palace, it was usually when Shuri was working, meaning they didn't get to talk very often. He did know Tony very well, though, and he knew the man wouldn't stop until he had reached his goal, at least not if it was up to him.

                Although he understood why the other man did it, it didn't mean it was the best course of action. If they were going to defeat Thanos, they would all have to be on the top of their game, and that meant they couldn't be having a hard time focusing because their brains had turned to mush from the lack of sleep and nutrients.

                So, Steve did what he did best: pushed his feelings aside and mother hen-ed the pair as best as he could.

                Tony reluctantly agreed to take a break and allowed himself to be led to one of the rooms of the palace. It was large, the bed alone could fit three or four people easily. In the corner of his eye, Tony could see an extravagant-looking wardrobe and two chairs that were just as luxurious as the rest. A coffee table was placed in front of them.

                Steve led him to one of the seats and took his place on the one beside it. They ate in a comfortable silence, just soaking up each other's presence, appreciating the intimacy of the moment in spite of the events that had led to it.

                "That's quite the room you got us, huh?" A flicker of hope sparked inside Steve at that moment. _Us_. There was still an _us_ he could save. Up to that point, he hadn't allowed himself to think too much about what had happened, about what he had lost, _who_ he had lost. He wouldn't blame Tony if he couldn't move past what had happened all those years ago, he really wouldn't. Steve had done what he had to do to make sure Bucky wouldn't have to pay for Hydra's crimes, but that didn't mean he didn't regret some of the things he had said and done along the way. Ultron had been the beginning of the end for them, but what Sam loved to call "The Civil War" had sealed the deal.

                The supersoldier realized he had spent maybe a little too much time lost in his own thoughts. That seemed to amuse Tony, though, who had a sly grin plastered on his face. Steve scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, feeling a little flustered all of the sudden. "Oh- yeah, about that... We're royal guests?" The end of his sentence comes out as more of a question than a proper statement. "I asked if there wasn't something a little more, hm, low-key, but Okoye just laughed at me and left, so... yeah."

                The amused look on Tony's face could still be recognized, but he remained silent. He stood up and started walking towards the bed. Suddenly, Steve was overcome by a thought: What if Tony didn't really want him here? He'd never want to impose his presence! Oh, dear. Words were spilling from his mouth before he could think better of it. "I can- I can go if you want? I'm sure there are more rooms-"

                His words were cut short by Tony's overlapping ones. "NO! I mean, no. No need to go anywhere.  I don't think either of us should be alone tonight." The amused look was replaced by one that very much resembled Tony's version of fondness: a one-sided smirk combined with a softness in his gaze. The last part was quite compromised, though, Tony's tiredness being the much more recognizable trait there. "Now come here." He tapped one side of the bed with his hand in a welcoming gesture.

                Hesitantly, Steve started to strip from his civvies, following Tony's lead. They laid on the bed, eyes wide open and focused on each other. They knew sleep wouldn't come so soon.

                Only a couple minutes passed and the supersoldier felt the genius scooting closer to him. They could feel each other's warmness seeping through even though they were barely touching. Steve took a deep breath, the familiar smell invading his nostrils and a wave of peacefulness washed through him. He'd missed this. Missed _them_. So much.

                "Did I ever tell you about the time Peter and I tried to make Thanksgiving dinner all by ourselves?" Tony's voice was soft and low like he was telling Steve a secret.

                "No, I don't think you did." Came Steve's response, just as soft.

                And so Tony began telling the particularly disastrous tale, and then Steve told Tony some of his own, and so it went. Right then and there, under those covers, Steve and Tony were in their own little world, away from all the pain and loss of the last couple of days. And so, when sleep came, they were both unafraid of any night terrors that may come. They had each other. Anything was possible, nothing could hurt them again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments! :)


	4. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back to Peter's POV now, following their quest to find a way to strike a deal with the stone.

                It turned out that finding a way to communicate with the soul stone wasn't as simple as it most of them had predicted it would be. Firstly, they would have to find the Soul Temple, and right then and there they already had quite a bit of an issue: nobody knew where the heck the Temple was supposed to be.

                So they started looking. They teamed up in small groups, three or four people, and each group went in a different direction. If someone managed to find it, their next problem was spreading that information along to the rest of the group. They hoped whoever found it would be able to figure something out, though. They were Earth's (and Galaxy's, he guessed) Mightiest Heroes, right? They would figure something out.

                Peter couldn't complain about his teammates; Vision and Wanda were very nice, always willing to answer the boy's questions and talk to him about the most random things. Peter was a chatter, what could he do?

                Strange mostly kept to himself, always seeming a bit lost in his own thoughts. Peter liked to believe the man was warming up to him a bit, though. It took quite a numerous amount of attempts, but Strange was finally engaging with Peter using more than just grunts and one-worded responses.

                "How can a temple be so hard to find?" Peter let out in frustration. They had been searching for what felt like an eternity already. It honestly felt like they were just walking around in circles because the whole scenery didn't seem to change one bit and Peter was getting fed up with it.

                Unexpectedly, something in the corner of the boy's eye caught his attention. So far, everything they saw was consistently reminiscent of an araucaria forest; large trees, very resistant-looking and eye-catching in the best way. This one, though? It was twisted and frail-looking. It stood out for all the wrong reasons.

                Without a second thought, Peter moved closer to the tree, his teammates following closely behind. He reached out and touched the rough texture of one of its branches. As soon as the boy's fingers touched the surface, a piece of parchment materialized itself in front of him.

                Strange quickly took the parchment from the branch to exam it. His eyes moved fast as he read over and over again what was written. When it became clear Strange wouldn't share his thought process (or even what was written on the paper), Peter decided to take the matter into his own hands and placed himself behind the older man to get a good look.

                "' _The Soul Temple will come to those whose souls are as weightless as our fortress._ ' Huh. What do you think it means, Dr Strange?"

                "I don't know yet, kid. Maybe you should stay quiet for once and let the adults think." was Strange's annoyed response. Had it been in any other moment, Peter would've most likely just let it go, but right then he couldn't hold his vexation back. And so he snapped.

                "You know, you don't _have_ to be so rude all of the time! Did you forget we're on the same side here?" The words came out of his mouth before he could stop them. "And I was the one to even find the clue! Come on!" He let out in exasperation. He could see Wanda and Vision studying the ground as if it were the most interesting thing in the world from the corner of his eye. To be honest, Peter was a little surprised with himself; last time he'd snapped like that had been with Mr Stark, when he foolishly told the billionaire that if he really cared about him, he'd actually be there. Well, that was for sure a low-point for him. Surely Strange didn't deserve that kind of outrage, right? He should apologize.

                "I'm sorr-" his attempt at an apology was cut short by an uncharacteristic outburst coming from Strange.

                "You know what, Peter? I DO have to be rude all of the time. I can't afford to get attached to you, to _any_ of you. I have been careless up to this point, allowing myself to care for you people as individuals when I should be focused on you as a whole because guess what? Sentiment is a defect found on the losing side. If I care too much, I'll lose focus and this-" his hands pointed towards no particular thing or direction "-will be the endgame for us. Do you want that?" Strange didn't really give Peter time to answer before concluding his point with a "Didn't think so."

                "That's where I think you're wrong, Doctor. I think sentiment is the greatest virtue of our side." Peter starts off, feeling rather bold all of the sudden. "You see, I talked to Gamora before everyone split up; turns out she's none other than the adoptive daughter of Thanos. She told me the Soul Stone asked Thanos for a sacrifice, a soul for a soul and all of that. Said he had to sacrifice the one thing that meant the most to him and he did it without a second thought.

                That, though, is not love. We don't sacrifice someone we love, _especially_ not as our first choice. He doesn't understand that, at least not yet; the value of a single life for each of us. It is not a weakness, Doctor, but an unceasing source of _strength_."

                Peter was overcome by the memories of everyone he loved, the little family he had managed to build throughout the years. He hadn't had the courage to look for them in here, too scared of actually knowing the answer. He could feel the tears building up in the corner of his eyes but he did his best to keep them at bay.

                "We all have people we care about to get back to, and that serves as fuel to keep us going through this hell." Strange was taken aback by how earnest the young man sounded. He couldn't be older than eighteen, and yet his altruistic view of the world came out as so... wise. He wasn't about to turn a one-eighty on his life, but the kid did make some valid points.

                Hesitantly, Strange places a hand on the younger man's shoulders. "Don't make me regret this, kid." He had to fight back a smile when the boy's face lit up like a goddamn Christmas tree. Peter opened his mouth to respond, but a deafening noise turned their attention elsewhere.

                Sitting right there in front of them was the Soul Temple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I left you guys on a cliffhanger, but not really hehe. Hope you guys liked this one, let me know what you think in the comments, I'd love to hear your thoughts! :)
> 
> Ps: I almost had Petter calling Strange an asshole but I managed to restrain myself from that. I think Aunt May taught him better than that, right? hahaha
> 
> Ps2: Strange's line about sentiment was put there especially for my favourite reader @Piece_of_Chaos, hope you enjoyed that lil reference! :D


	5. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! We're back to Stony's POV as they prepare for battle.

                The days that followed fell into a familiar routine.

                Tony would spend his mornings locked up in the lab with Shuri, Bruce making some appearances as well, and Steve would spend them at the palace's gym, preparing his teammates for every possible outcome he could think of. Everyone was more than willing to comply.

                There was an unspoken agreement that no one should be left alone, a reassurance they were all in desperate need of. Lunches were spent with all of them together, trading information about their respective improvements and achievements of the day. They didn't speak of when the final showdown would take place, but they all knew it was right around the corner.

                Afternoons were spent more-less the same as their mornings. Their nights, though? Their nights were special. They were reserved for Steve and Tony and them alone.

                Sometimes they talked. Really talked. It could go on for hours and hours and it felt surreal and all-too-familiar at the same time. Those nights, the touches were tentative, feather-light, and yet they burned through their skin like they were at the beach in the middle of July.

                Other nights, though, were much quieter. They would just hold each other, touches way rougher, more desperate and all-too-necessary. One would whisper their apologies and regrets in the dead of night and the other would pretend they didn't listen, words dying away in their lips. The wet spots in both of their shirts were left unmentioned.

-x-

                "Hey, Cap? Can I talk to you for a sec?" Steve was just finishing his clean-up of the gym room after another training drill when Shuri made her presence known.

                Making sure the last punching bag was put correctly and wouldn't fall for no reason, Steve made his way to the loveseat located in the corner of the room and sat down, Shuri following closely behind.

                She sat down next to him, hands fidgeting anxiously on her lap. He waited patiently as the girl gathered her thoughts. Soon enough, she voiced them."I- you knew my brother pretty well, right?"

                "I'd like to think so. Why? What's on your mind?"

                "I just- I have been thinking. About how I can improve my gear to face that ugly grape and everything and..." She trailed off for a moment but didn't take long to start again. "The herb. We've been growing it for the past, like, two years or so. I've been thinking if I should consume it or not."

                Steve knew very little about the herb. T'Challa had once told him it was the source of his powers, but that was pretty much it.  "I... I'm not sure I understand, Shuri."

                "I don't know if it'd be a disrespect to my brother, you know? He's the king, the protector of Wakanda and the Black Panther. I'm just the person who provides the extra gear."

                "I won't tell you what you should or shouldn't do, especially 'cause this one's tricky. I'll tell you this, though: Knowing your brother, he wouldn't hold it against you. If anything, he'd appreciate what you were willing to do for him." He threw the young woman a reassuring smile and made his way towards the door, stopping just before exiting. "Oh, and one last thing: This is like if you had built a new kind of weapon: you wouldn't let just anyone wield it, right? You'd want to make sure the person was ready and knew how to handle it. With great power, comes great responsibility, that kind of thing."

                Shuri broke out in laughter with the last part. "Tony said you'd say that! Oh my god, now I owe him that system upgrade." She got up and left the room still cackling, leaving a dumbfounded Steve behind. She'd talked to Tony before talking to him about this? Unbelievable!

-x-

                In a fortnight, they were ready for battle.

                Everything was prepared: Wong had managed to find Thanos' location, Bruce and Hulk had made a truce and were now able to work together (turned out Hulk still listened to Natasha, trusting her when she said they were going there to _win_ , to get their friends back.), Shuri, after a long talk with Okoye, decided to drink the herb potion and assume her brother's mantel for the time being (they were all invited to watch the ritual. Tony later told Steve excitedly about how blown away he was by the whole thing. The supersoldier suspected it had more to do with how amazed Tony was by Shuri than the ritual itself, but he kept his opinion to himself.) and everyone else was as prepared as they could ever be.

                Their plan was simple enough: Tony would go in first, distract the big guy since he was the only one the giant seemed to respect (the irrational pang of jealousy Steve felt when hearing about their encounter was also left unvoiced). Tony would try to rationalize with the guy ( just so no one would say he didn't at least _try_ ) and when _that_ didn't work, they'd go at him with everything they had and at the same time. Steve would admit most of their other plans involved some finer techniques of strategizing, but you know.

                This was their last night before they took off. It had been a quiet one, until Tony spoke up.

                "I need you to promise me something." His voice came out as not much more than a whisper, venerable in a way Steve had only heard Tony allow himself to be a handful of times.

                "Anything." was Steve's response, along with tugging Tony a little closer to himself.

                "If- if I die out there, I need you to promise you'll look out for Peter, take care of him." Tony was looking at Steve with what could only be described as fierceness in his eyes.

                "I-I don't know, Tony..." Steve was cut off by Tony's overlapping words.

                "Steve, I ­ _need_ you to promise me. I need to know there'll be someone looking after him and May. They're too stubborn to admit they need any help, but they struggle. I gotta know he won't have to deal with everything alone, Steve, _please_." The soft light coming from the bedroom's window made the trail of tears on Tony's face look shiny, almost shimmery. Steve didn't think twice before reaching his hand out and wiping them away, feeling Tony melt onto the touch.

                "I promise you I'll take care of him." Tony hugged the other man with fierceness, tears still flowing freely. Steve kept repeating the reassuring words, and Tony held onto them like a lifeline. Eventually, they fell into a restless sleep.

-x-

                The tension in the quinjet's air was almost palpable, the fast beating of their hearts could be heard (in Steve's case, literally). They weren't sure if they were going to come back from this, but that sure as hell wasn't going to stop them from trying anyway.

                Thanos was apparently building his summerhouse (white picket-fence included) in a distant planet called Archeopia. Its population, Wong told them, had been wiped out long before Thanos showed up.

                The quinjet landed smoothly on the planet's cracked surface and its doors opened to show what looked like the aftermath of a nuclear nightmare. Tony swallowed hard and stood up, Steve copying his movement.

                Hesitantly, Tony intertwined his fingers with Steve's uncovered ones, loosely. It burned, but it made Tony feel so _alive_. "Remember what you promised me." Steve's face hardened as he looked away from Tony, nodding reluctantly.

                He let go of the other man's hand with a heaviness on his chest and walked towards the quinjet's exist. "Tony, wait!" He heard Steve's desperate tone, stopping dead on his tracks. Steve could see the glimmer of hope in the other man's eyes and he felt a pang on his heart at the sight. "Be safe." He finished off, lamely.

                "Always do, Cap." Tony threw in a lopsided smile, and left for good.

                As always, what they really wanted to say got stuck in the lumps that formed on their throats.

                " _I love you."_

_"I love you too."_

Steve only hoped they'd have the chance to say it afterwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I try to not make too many references, but the Uncle Ben quote was BEGGING to be used!
> 
> Let me know what you guys think in the comments, I'd love to know! :)


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